The Copycat
by FaustRoW
Summary: When a young auror witnesses a grisly murder, he starts going after the killer, realizing a horrible truth during the investigation...
1. Chapter 1: Another day at the office

Faust Jonathan Rowland was a 23-year-old British man who grew up in a normal family, in the suburbs of London, watched cartoons and played hide and seek with other kids. After graduating, he sought to advance his education in hopes of gaining a chance at a better career, just like everyone else. He was a fan of Star Wars, watched football, cheered for Chelsea FC, drank Guinness, paid bills, had an English breakfast every morning, traveled by public transport and went to work every day except weekends. But he was, by no means, an ordinary man.

Faust was an auror, and a pretty good one, at that. In two years spent in the Auror Office, his status went from F.N.G. to 'that young lad who brought down the Chimera gang and solved the Manchester Butcher case'. He wouldn't admit it openly, but he enjoyed being in the spotlight of fame in the Auror Office. Despite being young, he meant business, and he wanted his skeptical and deprecatory older colleagues to know that. More than anything, though, he enjoyed the proud moment when his boss, Harry James Potter, congratulated him personally after his first successful operation. Faust was by no means a braggart, but who wouldn't be proud of themselves when a legend pats you on the back.

**19th August 2017, London, Great Britain.**

'… _really happy here,_

_With this lonely game we play…'_

Faust heard the music coming from the earphones, but he wasn't listening to it. He heard this song a thousand times already. It was a long day at the office, and all he could think about was getting home, pouring a glass of scotch and unwinding by the fireplace. Soon he would make a sharp turn left and then forward another 150 meters, towards Charing Cross Station. He took off his earphones and turned off the music on his brand-new Samsung phone. There was no point in listening to the same bloody song every evening. He took a sharp turn left. Now he just has to…

- '_This is Central to all officers near Charing Cross station, spells cast near Craig's Court,, is anyone able to investigate, over?'_, the vibe sounded off in Faust's head. Vibes were telepathic messages widely used in the wizarding world for quick communication.

- '_Central, this is auror Rowland, I'm on it.'_, Faust responded telepathically.

Faust sighed and turned back, going through the street of Great Scotland Yard. He took a turn right, and after passing the Silver Cross pub, turned right again. Going deeper into Craig's Court, he started hearing cries echoing from a nearby backstreet:

- '_No, wait! Stop! Please!'_

A green flash lit up the brick walls. Faust pulled out his wand and ran up to the narrow backstreet.

The sight was gruesome. A hooded, tall figure was holding a circlet that was emanating a faint light. Before the figure lay a mutilated heap of meat and skin, which was missing an arm. And a leg. And its face. The hooded figure raised its wand and pointed it at Faust. He took cover behind the wall just as a green bolt flashed by his head. When he peeked around the corner, the wavy cloak of the murderer was already disappearing into the shadows. Faust nonverbally cast _Lumos _and gave chase.

- '_Central, this is auror Rowland, I'm in pursuit of a murder suspect between Craig's Court and Great Scotland Yard. Requesting reinforcements.'_, Faust vibed to Central.

Just when Faust thought he had him cornered, the murderer cast the _Ascendio_ spell, which propelled him onto the rooftops. The young auror followed. As he ran across the rooftops, he showered the suspect with a flurry of spells, each one blocked by the _Protego_ spell.

- 'Stop, you bloody cunt!', Faust shouted at the murderer, though he wasn't expecting him to cooperate.

In the blink of an eye, extremely nimbly, the murderer jumped across the wide gap between two buildings, and just as Faust was getting ready to jump after him, he felt a sharp pain in his left leg that threw him off balance. He jumped and slammed into the wall, barely grabbing the edge of the roof. His leg was bleeding. As he tried pulling himself up, a spell cast by the fleeing suspect blew off the bricks beneath Faust's right hand. He heard the echoes of the vanishing footsteps as he clung to the edge with his left hand.

'Oh, fuck me sideways.', he said before the brick wall slipped from underneath his fingers.

* * *

><p>The bed at St Mungo's was more than comfortable, despite it being a hospital bed. As Faust slowly opened his eyes, two blurry figures stood over him. One of them said:<p>

- 'You awake, mate? How many fingers do you see?'

- 'Piss off, Ed.', Faust replied.

- 'Yeah, he's awake', Ed exclaimed to the other auror.

- 'What happened? Sherlock Holmes finally slip and fall?', the other auror asked

- 'Is that supposed to be a pun, William?', Faust said, looking at his aching leg. 'What happened? Did you catch the suspect?'

- 'He got away.', Ed replied. 'We found you unconscious and with a broken leg in an alley not far from Northumberland Avenue.'

- 'How long was I out?'

- 'Thirteen hours straight.', said the Healer that had just entered the room. 'Your leg is fixed up, you'll be able to go home tomorrow morning. But don't expect to get back in action for at least a year. Your leg was literally torn to shreds, and if you strain it too much, you'll wound it permanently.'

* * *

><p>- 'A year! A whole bloody year! I'll have to take sick leave for a full. Bloody. Year!', Faust was furious.<p>

Harry, the head of the Auror Office, sat at his desk in a cozy office, fingers clasped. He listened to the young auror with an amused look on his face, his lips stretching in a mild smile.

- 'With all due respect, chief, I don't think it's funny. What am I supposed to do for a whole year? I'm not about to sit at home like a bloody hermit!'

- 'Well, since you're so eager to be useful, I might have something for you. It won't be as exciting, but it may be a nice experience.'

- 'Sure, whatever it is, I accept… Um… So, what is it?'

Harry smirked and said:

- 'Pack your bags. You're going back to school.'


	2. Chapter 2: Home away from home

**26th August 2017, Scotland, Great Britain**

- 'The body was mangled to the extent that aurors had a hard time identifying the victim, but after a while, the corpse was identified as a Muggle homeless person. Time of death was around 22:00 hours, physical appearance of the suspect is unknown except for the fact that he wore a black cloak and hood, blah blah blah…', mumbled Faust.

A sigh of disappointment escaped his mouth. Nothing. Not even the slightest clue as to who the killer is.

As he lifted his gaze from the Ministry report and looked into the window, a familiar face stared back, a young man of pale skin, dark hair, distinctive eyebrows, thin lips and brown-green eyes. The train smoothly glided across the beautiful Scottish landscapes. It appeared that Faust was the only passenger onboard. It was unusual for the train on Platform 9-3/4 to be transporting people on request, but when that request comes from the head of the Auror Office and goes straight into the office of the Minister for Magic, it's not likely to be denied.

When he stepped off the train and onto the platform, he saw a single carriage pulled by thestrals waiting for him. The gray-haired, hunch-backed caretaker, Mr. Filch, was standing beside the carriage and grumbling about Ministry requests and bad weather. Faust levitated his coffers onto the carriage and sat inside. With a tug, the carriages started going along an old, familiar path. It was already evening, but after only a few minutes, a nostalgic sight befell Faust's eyes. A dark lake, circled by mountains, and in the middle of it all, an old, grey castle adorned by tall, pointy towers. One look towards the West Tower, and Faust could feel the blue-bronze tie around his neck, smell the blue woolen scarf, hear the murmur of his fellow classmates and see the night sky painted on the ceiling of the Ravenclaw common room. Six years ago he left this place. Now he is coming back to it. A tear of joy slid down his cheek and a smile adorned his face as he stepped out of the carriage and onto the school grounds once more.

Hogwarts. Home away from home.

* * *

><p>Truth be told, he was a bit nervous about seeing all the people he already knew. The people who taught him everything he knows, who graded his homework, held his O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams, who were a major part of his life. People whom he will have to start addressing as – colleagues. Mr. Filch took Faust's coffers and started dragging them towards his future office. Faust stood in front of the staffroom door, gathering his nerves to enter it. After three minutes or so, he raised his hand to knock on the door, but before he could, a tall man, almost forty years old, with short brown hair and hazel eyes, opened them. Neither Faust nor the Herbology professor were surprised to see each other. Instead, they both smiled and hugged each other like old friends do. They were, after all, colleagues in the Auror Office, if only for a short time.<p>

'Oh, it's good to see you again, Neville.', said Faust.

'Likewise.', professor Longbottom responded

'How's Hannah? Still running the Leaky Cauldron?'

'Yes. Business has been going well, as always. Come, let me introduce you to the other teachers. You know some of them, but there have been many changes in the staff…'

'Yes, I can see.'

Faust stood in the middle of the well lit staffroom, while the professors gathered to greet their new colleague. The ghost of professor Cuthbert Beans was still around, teaching History of Magic. Professor Oliver Wood, teaching flying, was there, too. Sybill Trelawney, although much older than he remembered her, was still around to bother students with her visions of 'something _**dark**_ and _**dangerous**_'. Septima Vector, the Arithmancy teacher, Aurora Sinistra, the Astronomy professor, and many more were still there, at Hogwarts. Faust greeted them all, but he noticed a few people were missing. He also noticed a few new faces.

'Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick retired some time after you graduated from Hogwarts.', said Neville.

'Pity, I was wondering how my old Head of House was doing.'

'Yes… Well, anyway, this is professor Xanthia Bottomley, she teaches Transfigurations.', the middle-aged woman nodded after Neville's introduction. Faust nodded back. 'This is Seth Dedworth, the Charms professor.' The pale-skinned man wearing a black robe slightly nodded, out of sheer courtesy. He didn't seem like the overly friendly type, and something in Faust's head shouted 'SLYTHERIN' every time he gazed into the man's void-black eyes. His black medium-length hair was neatly combed and split from right to left, and he wore a neat full goatee.

'Nice to meet you.', said Faust.

'And last but not least, this is professor Eve Morgan. She's the Potions teacher.', said Neville.

The young woman seemed somehow familiar to Faust. Her wavy blonde hair flowed over her shoulders, and her soothing sky-blue eyes gleamed in the light coming from the nearby fireplace. She smiled and raised her hand. Faust took it and squeezed it gently.

'Don't I know you from somewhere?', Faust asked her. 'What house were you in?'

'Gryffindor.', she replied.

'Right, you were one of professor Slughorn's favorite students. He used to talk about you all the time. I think you were, what, third year when I just came to Hogwarts?'

'Second, if my memory serves me well. Seriously, you offend me, do I really look that old?', she said and smiled.

Their conversation was interrupted by the moaning sound of the staffroom door. In the doorway stood a tall, slim man in an elegant blue robe. He was bald, and the only hair on his head were his white bushy eyebrows. He wore a golden ring on his left hand, as always. Faust knew this man. It was his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

'So, the prodigal student returns. You never could resist the temptation of knowledge, I knew it would drag you back here sooner or later.', the man said slowly.

Faust firmly shook the man's hand and said:

'It's good to see you again, sir.'

'You too, dear lad. It seems you have come to replace me as the D.A.D.A. professor. I know there were times when you imagined this moment while you were a student here.'

'Well, when I heard I got the offer for the position, I wondered what happened to you. When I heard…'

'Yes, me, Basil Cinderford, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, can you imagine, ho ho.', the man laughed.

'There are none more fitting for the position, sir.', said Faust.

'Stop sucking up to me, you're not getting a raise.', said Basil. Both men laughed. 'Anyway, welcome back to Hogwarts. We all wish you a very warm welcome, and are excited to work with you as our equal in this proud school.'

As the staff members welcomed Faust back to Hogwarts, the Whomping Willow waved lightly in the late summer night breeze, covering the hidden passage to the Shrieking Shack. The hoops and towers of the Quidditch Pitch stood stoically on the school grounds. The Fat Lady's attempts of 'singing' filled out the halls connected to the moving Grand Staircase, while the other portraits near the Lady covered their ears. The ominous blue flames illuminated the dungeons, the floating candles in the Great Hall were lit, shining their light into the night sky on the ceiling above them. As Rubeus Hagrid, the half-giant groundskeeper and Care of Magical Creatures professor, chopped wood in front of his hut near the Forbidden Forest, a Barn Owl flew past his head and went straight towards the Owlery.

Everything was as Faust remembered. Only the faces were either fresh, or a few years older than he remembered them.

* * *

><p>Faster than anyone expected, the morning of 1st September dawned at Hogwarts. The whole castle was teeming with preparations for the new school year. If the school's clock was to be trusted, the Hogwarts Express had already left the Platform 9-34 an hour ago, and it would arrive at the Hogsmeade Station in the early evening. Hagrid was already preparing the boats, which the first year students will sail in across the Black Lake and towards the castle, as was the tradition every year. The house-elves were working very hard in the kitchens below, preparing food for the Welcoming Feast.

Faust had already finished setting up his stuff in his new office, which was located in the Defense Against the Dark Arts Tower. He still had only one problem: He had never taught anyone before, and didn't know how to formulate the curriculum plan for the lessons.

'I was thinking of showing them _Protego_, but they're just eleven years old, none of them even know how to hold a wand properly, and the Shield Hex is a moderately complicated spell. So maybe I'll start with an introductory class tomorrow, and then follow it with a lesson about the Green Sparks spell…', Faust consulted with Neville.

'Good idea. Then you should show them _Mucus ad Nauseam_, and then perhaps a lesson about Hags.', Neville responded.

'Exactly. I'll have to spend approximately three lessons for each topic, and after Hags, I was thinking about _Flipendo_.

'Sounds like you've got it all figured out.'

'Well, I'll just be following Quentin Trimble's textbook, I guess.'

'Well, you're still inexperienced in the work of a teacher, so that would be the smartest thing to do. Oh, there's Headmaster Basil. I have to ask him something, I'll talk to you later, ok?'

'Alright, Neville, see you later.'

Faust turned right after the stairs and went straight into the Great Hall. Seth Dedworth and Eve Morgan were setting up the decorations.

'Oh, hey, how's it going?', asked Eve.

'My head's already spinning from organizing lessons and adjusting the timetable with the other professors.', Faust responded.

'You've only just begun. Don't tell me that an auror can't handle a little pressure. You'll be teaching kids, not chasing after dark wizards.', Seth exclaimed in an annoyed tone.

'Yeah that's what scares me the most. Blasting someone with a spell is easy. Teaching eleven year old newly-revealed wizards how **not** to blast each other is a lot harder. By the way, Eve, now that professor Flitwick is gone, who's gonna be the new Head of House Ravenclaw?'

'Why, you are, of course!', she said cheerfully.

Faust raised his head and gazed at the blue and bronze banner hanging above the Great Table. The eagle, proudly spreading its wings across it, was staring back at him. 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.', Faust remembered the Ravenclaw slogan.


	3. Chapter 3: Sins of the father

**1st September 2017**

Faust was amused as he looked at the small eleven year-olds marching into the Great Hall behind Professor Seth with amazed looks on their faces. The Sorting Hat had already been placed on its stool, waiting to sort new students into their houses.

Now that Faust thought of it, it was certainly weird sitting at the professors' table, looking at the students. It seemed like only a few months ago he was one of those children, waiting in line, nervous, excited, and afraid at the same time. '_Dear Mr. Rowland, it is my pleasure to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…_', the words written in ink flashed before his eyes. When Faust was done reminiscing, the Sorting Hat was already singing its song about the four founders under the flickering light coming from the floating candles. He cast his gaze down the Great Hall. Everyone was looking at the Hat. Not a single sound could be heard, except echoes of the Hat's voice, bouncing of the stone walls.

All the fuss about preparing for the Welcoming Ceremony left Faust hungry. '_I hope the pudding and the chocolate gateau are as good as ever. Haven't had those for a long time._', Faust thought.

The song's ending was followed by a huge applause. Seth pulled out the list of newcomers and started reading.

'Anna Abrams.', said Seth in an annoyed tone. The hall went completely silent.

'SLYTHERIN!'

A roaring applause sounded off from the long table on the far right side of the Great Hall.

'Andrew Atkinson.'

'HUFFLEPUFF!'

This time the table under the yellow and black banner was on its feet. The boy smiled as he walked towards his classmates' welcoming arms.

'_I don't know why you're smiling, boy._', Faust thought, '_You've just become one of the most boring and uninteresting –_'

'Albus Potter.'

All eyes in the Great Hall were on the small boy, who slowly walked towards the Sorting Hat, wishing deep down inside that the Hat's decision doesn't begin with the letter 'S'. His bright green eyes glowed in the candlelight as he awaited the Hat's decision.

'GRYFFINDOR!', the Hat shouted.

'Well, that's one more Potter under my banner. What can I say – my house is a magnet for legends.', Eve said.

'You're starting to sound like Slughorn.', Faust whispered to her. He suddenly remembered the promise he gave to Harry. Despite working with him for only two years, Faust earned Harry's trust and friendship from the very start of his career as an auror. Accordingly, he knew the Potter and Weasley families very good, and was often invited to dinners at both families' homes. '_I know you're under no obligation to do so, but please, when you get to Hogwarts – look after mine and Ron's children in any way you can. You and Neville are the only people over there that I can trust._' That's what Harry asked of him. '_Harry, you and Ron are my friends. I will be more than happy to fulfill your request. Have no worries._', his own words rang out in his head.

Faust knew this favor wasn't asked lightly. For a school, Hogwarts sure was an extremely dangerous place at times.

* * *

><p>'<em>Well, being a professor isn't really all <strong>that<strong> hard._', Faust thought after a week spent teaching at his former school. He was terrified at first, but started enjoying it very soon. After some time, he thought that he made the wrong career choice of being an auror. When he told that to Neville, he responded that it's exactly what he himself thought after a few years spent in the Auror Office.

'Oh yeah', said Faust, 'little James Sirius Potter told me to tell you that Harry and Ginny send you their love, and that he was too ashamed to tell you this himself.'

Neville laughed and told him that they should go visit them during the first break they get, to which Faust agreed.

That afternoon, when he walked out of his office in the DADA Tower, Faust saw a classroom full of young students wearing black robes, each and every one of those decorated with either a red and gold or a green and silver badge.

'Okay, class, let's see how well you've learned the Green Sparks spell. All of you stand next to that wall at the back of the classroom.', Faust said. The students started standing up, and soon, the classroom was filled with an orchestra of screeching chairs. Faust pulled out his wand, a thing of beauty, 12 and a half inches long, made of black walnut and with a dragon heartstring core, and used it to levitate all the desks and chairs towards one of the classroom walls.

'Now, you'll come forward one by one and cast the spell at me. Anyone breaks anything in the classroom and I'm deducting house points.', Faust said with a serious face. He knew very well that the Green Sparks spell was completely harmless, but he loved the terrified looks on their faces.

'Oh, stop teasing the kids, will you?', a familiar gentle voice sounded off from the door. Eve Morgan stepped into the classroom with a smile on her face.

Faust nodded with a smile, then turned towards the students and said:

'Alright, c'mon, who wants to go first?'

Rose Weasley, the daughter of Ron and Hermione Weasley, stepped forward with her wand raised. After performing the gesture, a pure green ball flew towards Faust, which he effortlessly blocked. '_A beginner's spell, but it was perfect, as expected from the daughter of Hermione Weasley nee Granger._', he thought.

After everyone took their turn, Faust levitated the desks and chairs back to their places, and the students sat.

'Professor?', Abby Higgs, a Slytherin girl, raised her hand.

'Yes, Mrs. Higgs?', Faust responded.

'Is it true that you were an auror before you came to Hogwarts to teach?'

Faust sighed and said:

'Yes, Mrs. Higgs, it is.'

'_That little girl asks too many questions_.', he thought. 'Okay', he spoke to the class, 'For your next lesson, read about Hags from your textbooks. We'll be discussing them on Wednesday.' Abby's hand was in the air again.

'Sir?'

'Yes, Abby?'

'Is it true that your father fought at the Battle of Hogwarts?'

Faust's face froze for a moment, his mouth half-open, before he spoke again:

'Class dismissed.'

The students took their bags, stood up, and left the classroom in silence. Faust walked up to one of the windows and looked through it, not paying attention to Eve, who was walking up to him. She opened her mouth to say something, but Faust interrupted her:

'Yes, he did.'

'What?'

'My father', Faust said, 'he fought at the Battle of Hogwarts. My mother urged him not to go, but he would hear nothing of it. 'My companions need me', he said. That was the last time I saw him alive. This very building was his grave. I was only four when it happened.'

'I am sorry for your loss… I lost someone to the Battle, too. My mother. My father is a Muggle, but if she didn't stop him, he would've come with her, too. The only reason he didn't was that my mother told him to think about what would happen to me if I lost both of my parents.', Eve said. Faust was still looking out the window. She continued:

'Your father was probably a very brave man. Many people gave their lives to protect this school and its students that day.'

Faust lowered his head and closed his eyes, his arms crossed behind his back. Without looking at Eve, he said:

'My father was a Death Eater.'

The two of them stood in complete silence, before Faust raised his head and walked out of the classroom and into his office, closing the doors behind him. Eve stood there, speechless and shocked, only now realizing the weight of the words she told Faust, only now realizing with what force they must've hit him.

* * *

><p><strong>9th September 2017<strong>

Faust walked up the tall staircase leading to the Ravenclaw Common Room in the West Tower. At the top of the staircase was a large wooden door with no handle, only a knocker in the shape of an eagle. Faust knocked on the door.

'_**Voiceless it cries**_

_**Wingless it flutters,**_

_**Toothless bites**_

_**Mouthless mutters.**_', the eagle said.

'The Wind', Faust responded to the riddle.

When he opened the door, his eyes met with an all too familiar sight. A group of students were sitting around a table, doing homework and studying. Two young Ravenclaws sat in by the fireplace and played Wizard Chess. A group of third years were standing next to the harpsichord and cello and exchanging chocolate frog cards. William Davis, the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, was bragging to a fourth year girl about how they were going to win this year's Quidditch Cup. The students closest to the entrance door went silent when Faust entered the common room.

'A little attention, if you will...', he said. The rest of the students stopped their activities and turned their heads towards their Head of House. Everyone – except Davis, who was still bragging to the clearly annoyed, but still slightly amused girl.

'Casanova!', Faust said loudly. Davis quickly looked at Faust, and then froze in place as he blushed. A few girls in the common room giggled.

'Now that my presence is acknowledged – a few announcements.', Faust said. 'I talked to Professor Dedworth and Headmaster Basil, and we've come to an agreement that the Dueling Club will be opened during the last week of September, so, if anyone wants to enlist, they can do so during the week before that, from the 17th to the 23rd September. Also, the first Quidditch match in this year has been scheduled, and it will be on the 11th October. We'll be playing against Hufflepuff. Davis – at the end of the year, I want to see Ravenclaw's crest on that Cup, is that clear? You'll gather your team and begin practices at least three times a week, starting tomorrow. Understood?'

Davis nodded excitedly.

'Alright then, I'll see you all at the dinner.', Faust said and walked out of the common room.

After dinner, Faust sat at the Great Table and sipped wine, thinking about how the house-elves outdid themselves with the dessert this evening. He was thinking about going to Hagrid's after this, the old half-giant probably got a few new stories to tell since the last time they saw each other.

'I'm sorry.', a voice spoke out to his left.

'Huh?', he looked to the left and saw Eve playing with her food.

'I'm sorry for saying what I did yesterday, at your classroom.'

'It's okay. You had no way of knowing. Besides, you didn't ask me anything. I started the talk on the subject.'

'You knew I was going to ask you anyway.'

'Even so, I shouldn't have acted the way I did. I probably looked an overly dramatic teenager when I walked out on you. It was rude of me to do so.'

A moment of silence followed, before Faust broke it:

'It's just that I'm really tired of being judged because of my father's deeds. I was always the black sheep in the Auror Office because of that. Harry Potter was the first one who recognized me for who I am, not for who my father was, and I'm grateful for that. I usually don't like talking about my dad.'

'You needn't be ashamed of him, nor should you hide the fact about who your father was.', Eve said. For a moment, she was afraid that she had somehow offended Faust again, but was relieved when he smiled and said:

'I suppose you're right. Besides, I believe he might've been a good man, once. Perhaps he still was at the end of things. He was young and foolish, and a hard-boiled idealist when he joined the Dark Lord. And when you join him, there's only one way out. Even if he bailed on them, the Eaters still would've hunted him down, and killed him, along with me and mom. Maybe he did what he did only to protect the two of us. I can only hope so.'

Eve raised her cup filled with pumpkin juice and said:

'To our parents.'

'To our parents.', Faust responded and tapped her cup with his.


	4. Chapter 4: All Hallows' Eve

**25th September 2017**

Hard steps echoed throughout the halls of the first floor. professor Seth Dedworth was heading towards the hospital wing. Once he entered the huge room illuminated by the amber afternoon sunlight, he saw the old matron, Madam Pomfrey, inspecting Faust's leg.

'I do not know what you did to injure this leg so much, but it's not getting to full strength anytime soon.', said Madam Pomfrey.

'Long story, dear Madam. Long story.', he responded

She snorted as he rolled his trouser leg towards his ankle, hiding the horrible scars that were still in the process of healing.

'Oh, hello Seth. Is everything set up down in the main hall?'

'Yes. We're all waiting for you.'

'Well then, let's make haste. Wouldn't want to keep the students waiting.'

Faust stood up, albeit with some difficulty, and a soft grunt which earned him a disapproving gaze from Poppy Pomfrey. The two professors exited the hospital wing in silence. Faust looked out through the window. The weather was certainly nice outside, for an autumn afternoon. The day was quite enjoyable. Too bad it was Monday.

'So, how did it happen, really?', Seth inquired.

'What, the leg? Oh, I was in pursuit of a murder suspect, got hit by him while giving chase, and fell of a roof. My colleagues say that when they found me, lying in an alleyway, my leg was a bloody mess of bone splinters and torn-up flesh. I think the guy split my leg in half when he hit me or something. That's why it's taking so long for it to heal. The healers had to literally piece it back together like a puzzle.'

'Quite... Descriptive. I suppose he hit you with Sectumsempra?'

'Yes. How do you know?

'Oh, I just guessed. It's what I would've done if I was being chased.'

'Huh.'

The great oaken double door separating the Great Hall from the Grand Staircase was already open when Seth and Faust arrived. When they walked in, the dueling podium was already set up in the middle of the Hall, and students of all years were gathered around it, curiously looking towards the two professors.

'Alright everyone, eyes on me, listen up. Welcome to the Dueling Club. As many of you already know, this and the Quidditch Teams – that's where the cool kids are.', Faust said quite sarcastically. The students giggled.

'Did you consider yourself a 'cool kid' then, mister Rowland?', Seth spoke out from the other end of the podium.

'No, actually, I was the captain of the Chess Club.', Faust responded and scratched himself behind the ear. Laughter filled the hall yet again, this time louder.

'Alright now, down to business. For those of you who don't know, the Dueling Club is a great way to win points for your House. At the end of each year, the duelist with the highest score wins an award, and a trophy with his name is put on display. That being said, this is also a great way to learn how to defend yourself from eventual threats that you might face in life, and the trophies won in this club will help you a lot in landing a job as an auror. So, let's begin. professor Seth and I will perform a demonstratory bout, after which students will have a go at it.'

Faust pulled out his wand, turned towards Seth, and bowed. Seth mirrored the bow, and took up his duel pose, his left hand outstretched in front of him, and his right hand grasping his wand, holding it in eye-level. Faust's pose was a bit more elegant, albeit traditional and impractical in real-life combat, used only for formal dueling – his left arm was behind his back, and the right one was straightened in front of him, holding the wand in shoulder-level. Both of them were turned sideways towards their respective opponent. They gazed into each other, ready to make a move. Seth's elm wand glistened in the sunlight, and so did something on his head. It was a silver circlet. Faust had already seen it somewhere, he was sure of it...

Seth fired off the first spell. Faust snapped out of his thoughts and deflected the spell, counter-attacking immediately. Soon enough, the Great Hall was illuminated by magnificent flashes of spells and curses. At one point, they juggled a Disarming Spell back-and-forth between them, when Faust deflected it and followed with a spell from a half-turn, flicking his wrist almost unnoticeably, which curved the spell and made it spiral around the deflected one. Despite Seth deflecting them both, and with a lot of effort, he wasn't quick or practiced enough to see that the curved spell was only a diversion, and that Faust let loose the leg-binding jinx which was undetectable in the trail of the diversion spells. Ropes wrapped around the Charms Master's legs, which made him lose balance for a moment, enough for Faust to fire of a Disarming Spell. Seth's wand flew out of his hand and landed on the dueling podium.

A huge applause thundered through the Great Hall as Faust lowered his guard with a sly smile on his face. He didn't know why, but seeing Seth defeated gave him a certain dose of satisfaction, as if he had defeated a long-hated enemy. He blamed his deep-seated hate for Slytherin for it.

Faust walked towards Seth, limping a bit along the way. Seth picked up his wand and said:

'A deflection, spell and a jinx in rapid succession? That's quite a feat.'

'Comes naturally in my line of work, I guess.', said Faust and shook Seth's hand. Both of them had cold and bitter looks in their eyes.

The rest of the Club practice went rather well. That is to say, only three students had to be escorted to the Hospital Wing, one of which had rather nasty tentacles and warts on his face. Aside from that, the students did rather well, even the first years.

'_Well, that's it for today, I guess._', Faust thought while exiting the Great Hall when the practice ended and students went to their next classes or their dormitories. '_I guess it would be a great time to visit the old, gentle half-giant, I've been meaning to do so for quite a while now._'

After the sun set, the school grounds got considerably colder. The occasional gusts of wind were chilling. As Faust walked towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest, he looked towards the Owlery to his right. The tower looked kind of eerie in the darkening sky. The wind carried dry leaves around in spirals. In the distance, Hagrid's hut stood beside a garden adorned by soon to be huge orange pumpkins. The half-giant was nowhere to be seen, but the lights coming from the windows suggested that he was inside the hut.

Fausts knocking on the large door was met with low-toned and a bit weak barking from inside. When the doors opened, Fang, an 18-year-old oversized boarhound stuck his head into Faust's chest, wanting to cuddle in the familiar arms. The dog had gray hair all over his body, and looked incredibly old. His owner behind him looked no better.

'Hoy Faust, how er 'ya?! Come in, 'tis gettin' cold outside...', Hagrid spoke. His hair and beard were really gray, and under the dim light coming from the fireplace, even for a half-giant – Hagrid looked very, very old.

'Could be better. Could be worse!', said Faust. 'Leg's aching, and all that... How have you been, my friend? I haven't had the chance to talk since I started working here, between the curriculum plans, organizing the Dueling Club, the new Quidditch season, getting used to the job, and all that... I'm sorry I didn't visit you earlier.'

'Oh, it's quite alright, no worries. As for me - same ol', same ol'...', Hagrid responded and threw a whole steak towards Fang, which he swallowed almost instantly. 'Days gettin' shorter, air gettin' colder, walks gettin' longer... Time's caught up with me, 't seems. It won't be long before I'm gone.'

'Gee, you're cheerful. Don't talk like that. Aren't giants supposed to live, I don't know, a really long time?'

'Well, I'm only an 'alf-giant, mind you...'

'Still, having giant blood has to count for something, right?'

'Aye, I'll live a few decades longer... But it's only gonna get tougher from now on, I tell ya. Tea?'

'I wouldn't mind.'

Hagrid poured herbal tea into a small mug he kept especially for visitors. Faust thanked him and took a sip. It was as refreshing as ever.

'So, what happened around here while I was gone?', Faust asked.

'Oh, not much... Professors McGonagall and Flitwick retired, too ol' to be teachin' them says. We got a visit from Beauxbatons Academy last year, somethin' 'bout a new Triwizard Tournament, me thinks... Other than that, not much news fer ya.'

'I see the pumpkins are coming along quite nicely.', said Faust, looking out the window, towards the garden.

'Aye, they'll be real beauties come Hallowe'en Feast, I tell ya.', Hagrid followed Faust's gaze.

'As always, Hagrid. As always.'

The sky was darker and darker with every passing minute. The column of smoke rising from the chimney and the dim light shining out the windows were the only signals of life coming from the old hut worn out by years of Scottish weather. Just as its owner, the hut was a reminder that time moved swiftly, surely, and in only one direction.

* * *

><p><strong>31st October 2017<strong>

October stormed by like a tempest, and before everyone knew it, the Hallowe'en Feast was upon them. The ghosts inhabiting the castle were doing their best to appear scary and menacing (though they were having a hard time with that, except for maybe the Bloody Baron, ghost of House Slytherin). While not scary, Peeves was certainly menacing and bothersome, as always. He even went so far as to haunt an empty set of armor on display and chase first-year students through the hallways, so Faust had to intervene. Hagrid's pumpkins lived up to the expectation, and were now floating in the Great Hall, with candles inside.

It was a time of year that pretty much everyone enjoyed. The students got a break from classes, and the teachers got a break from students. The house elves never got a break from cooking, and they loved it that way. Mr. Filch never got a break from cleaning the mess caused by Peeves and the students, and he didn't like it at all.

Faust was already chowing down on his dinner when Eve Morgan and Septima Vector entered the Great Hall. Septima sat at the furthermost right spot at the table, and Eve sat near Faust. She looked worried.

'Why the long face?', Faust asked, taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

'I lost my locket, with my mother's picture in it.', she responded while grabbing the root of her neck.

'When was the last time you saw it?'

'Last night! I put it on my nightstand, in my room. This morning, when I went to put it on, it was gone!'

'Well, maybe it's just Peeves... He does like to pull pranks come Hallowe'en...'

'I can't believe it disappeared, just like that.', she said, ignoring him.

'Hey, I'm sure you'll find it. Don't worry.'

The rest of the feast went pretty quiet, at least at the teachers' table. The students were pretty loud during the entire feast. They mostly talked about classes, scary stories and castle myths. The main subject at the Ravenclaw table, however, was the recent Ravenclaw victory in Qudditch over Hufflepuff. Faust wasn't showing it, but he was pretty proud of the team. He gave a subtle pat on the shoulder to William Davis, the team captain, when he passed by him. Davis smiled and revelled in the fact that he had earned the respect and pride of his Head of House.

Faust exited the Great Hall and turned left towards the Grand Staircase. The food was delicious, but Faust wasn't thinking about it. He was troubled. One of the teachers wasn't at the feast – Xanthia Bottomley, to be specific. If it were any other night, he'd say it was pretty normal, but it wasn't usual for teachers to miss out on feasts that were held on special occasions such as the Hallowe'en. Their presence was almost formally required. As he climbed the stairs, the Ravenclaw prefect ran up to him, with a shocked and frantic look on his face.

'Si... Mist...', the prefect huffed while holding his side.

'Catch your breath, boy. What is it, what happened?'

'It's professor Xanthia Bottomley, sir!', the prefect was still panting. 'She's been murdered, on the third floor!'

Faust felt the blood rushing to his head as he ran up the stairs. His leg was hurting more than ever, but he had to get there as soon as possible. He couldn't believe it. A teacher. Murdered on the school grounds. Even though Hogwarts had its dangers, it was still unbelievable for a murder to take place there.

When he got to the third floor, a group of students were blocking the hallway.

'Everyone calm down. Your House Heads will be here shortly to escort you to your dormitories.', Eve's voice sounded off from the other side of the group.

'Move! Make way!', Faust shouted as he pushed the students aside. 'Eve, what happened, where – '

'Down the hall, to the right. Go, quickly.', Eve interrupted him. Her voice was shaky, her eyes glistening with tears.

When Faust went around the corner, his stomach dropped from the sight that befell his eyes. The hallway was drenched in blood. Some of it even got on the ceiling. The body was torn up, mangled and disfigured beyond recognition. The only thing identifying it as Xanthia Bottomley was a purple scarf she always wore. Standing over the body were Headmaster Basil and Seth Dedworth. Neville stood a bit to the side, comforting old madam Irma Pince, the Hogwarts Librarian, and Oliver Wood's voice was heard down the hall, addressing another group of upset and curious students.

'What... Who...', Faust stuttered.

'We... Don't know.', said Basil, 'Irma Pince found her here, in this state, when she was returning from the feast to the library.'

Faust walked up to Neville and Pince, who was still sobbing.

'Are you alright, ma'am?', Faust asked. Pince didn't respond. 'Did you see anyone leave the scene?'

'N-no... I w-was returning from the fe-feast, when I saw a trail of blood... I followed it and...' She burst into tears instantly.

'It's gonna be okay, ma'am, don't worry. We'll find whoever did this. Neville, would you kindly escort madam Pince to her quarters?'

Neville nodded and walked off with madam Pince still crying into her handkerchief. Faust looked around the hallway, then at the body. Basil and Seth were now standing away from it, talking about something. Faust crouched beside the body and took a good look at it. He was in danger of throwing up everything he ate at the feast. Xanthia's face was mutilated. The only part of the body which was more or less intact, was her left hand. Faust looked at it, and a small gleam caught his eye. He opened her hand with some effort and saw that it was clutching a golden locket. He took it and opened it, which revealed the moving picture of a beautiful woman of blue eyes and blonde hair. She looked very much like...

Faust walked down the hallway and turned left, back towards Eve. She was still busy containing the students.

'Is this yours?', he asked.

'Y... Yes! Where did you find it?!'

'... She had it with her.'

The locket glistened in the light cast by the torches on the walls.

* * *

><p>'A murder at Hogwarts. <strong>Outrageous.<strong>', Basil said. 'Do we have any lead as to who did this?'

'No, sir.', Faust responded. The teachers were all gathered in the staffroom. 'What we do know is that her body in the state of rigor mortis – postmortual stiffness, which means that she was killed at least three hours ago, which is right before the feast started. Her hand, however, was sort of loosened up and her fingers were curled up in a weird way, which suggests that the amulet was placed in her hand after she died. Also, one of the ghosts thought to have heard her screams, but dismissed it for a Hallowe'en prank. Judging by that and the state of her body, I believe she was tortured prior to being murdered.'

A few moments passed, during which a deafening silence befell the staffroom.

'Sir, we should call someone from the ministry to come over and investigate.', Faust said, turning towards Basil, who was looking out the window with a very worried look on his face.

'Perhaps it would be better to... Inform them, yes, but not ask for a full investigation just yet. We don't want to cause panic among the students.', professor Dedwort sounded off.

'Cause panic? If the murder of a teacher on Hogwarts doesn't cause panic, then I don't know what will! We have to call the Auror's Office in!'

Headmaster Basil turned towards him.

'I will send an owl to the Ministry immediately. You're all free to go. Be careful on the way to your quarters, all of you. Whoever this is, he might still be in the castle.'

Faust turned around and walked out of the staffroom. Eve looked at him as he passed her by. If his dark and brooding appearance ever had a hint of cheerfulness, it was gone now. The look on his face was dead serious.

'_He's here._', he thought to himself. '_That bastard that did my leg in and murdered that hobo. He's here._'


	5. Chapter 5: A Probable Suspect

**20th November 2017**

Three weeks after the murder of Xanthia Bottomley, the Transfigurations professor, the whole castle was still distraught by the event. And three weeks after the murder, the aurors still had no leads as to who the killer is. During that time, the air got considerably colder, and so did the atmosphere in the castle.

'No fingerprints, no footprints, no eyewitnesses, untraceable wand... This guy is a ghost.', said Potter, standing on the balcony of the Astronomy Tower.

'He's clever, alright. Xanthia was murdered in one of the few corridors of the castle that don't have portraits and paintings on the walls, nor windows. He planned it perfectly.', Faust responded. 'This remind you of anything, Harry?'

'Yes, my second year on Hogwarts, when the Chamber of Secrets was reopened. There were a lot of attempted murders that year, thankfully none of them successful.'

The two of them stood in silence, looking over the school grounds, both of them remembering better days spent in this institution.

'How's your leg?', Harry broke the silence.

'Not good. It still hurts a bit when I walk. Don't know if I'll ever make a full recovery.'

'You're a tough fellow, you'll pull through.'

Harry paused for a moment before speaking again.

'Do you remember the promise that you gave me?'

'I do, and don't worry. I've got your kids in my sight. Especially now. I won't let anything happen to them.'

'Thank you. I'm going back to London in the evening. I'll let you know if we find out anything more.'

'Likewise. Classes are starting, I've got to run. Have a safe journey.'

'Thanks. I'll see you around.'

That day, Faust wasn't really in the mood for teaching, nor were the students eager to learn, for that matter. Faust tasked them with reading about Doxies from their textbooks, while he thought about the murders. 'I'm missing something. It's obvious, and I'm missing it. Something crucial.', he thought. His trail of thought was interrupted by a raised hand in the back of the classroom.

'Yes, Mrs. Higgs?'

'Sir, who will teach us Transfigurations now that Mrs. Bottomley is gone?'

'I don't know. You'll get an appropriate teacher soon.'

'Sir, is it true that her killer is one of the teachers?'

'That's enough, Mrs. Higgs! That's a serious accusation! Back to reading!'

'_What if you're right, Mrs. Higgs?_', Faust thought. '_What if the killer is one of the teachers? It's not impossible. If anything, it's highly probable._'

The rest of the lesson passed in silence. When the students exited the classroom, Faust hurried down to the Dungeons. The Potions classroom was clearing as well. Only the damp, smoky air, and Eve Morgan, were inside.

'Eve, do you have a moment?', he asked her.

'Yes, what's on your mind?'

'What would the killer want with your locket?'

'What do you mean?'

'The locket was found in Xanthia's hand, but it was placed there. You said the locket disappeared that very morning. Why would the killer place it in her hand? Why would he even steal the locket in the first place, what would he want with it?'

'Your guess is as good as mine.', she said and put away a small cauldron into the wardrobe.

'This guy's smart. He doesn't do things without a purpose. Figuring out what he would want with your locket will definitely lead us closer to discovering his motive, and his identity.'

Eve shrugged, still busy with cleaning up her desk and putting the alchemical instruments away.

'Do you have any suspects?', she asked.

'I do, actually.', he said.

'Who?'

He looked her in the eyes and raised an eyebrow.

'You know who.'

'Oh, c'mon, just because you dislike Seth Dedworth doesn't automatically make him a killer.'

'Eve, on the night the murderer did in that hobo, he was holding a silver circlet. The same silver circlet that Seth possesses and wears. When it told him about that night, he knew how I was incapacitated. And, on top of things, he was the only one against calling in the aurors for an investigation.'

'It's all circumstantial, Faust!'

'A bit too many pieces of evidence for all of them to be circumstantial!'

'Stop. I will hear none of it. Seth may be a bit unpleasant and stuck-up, but he is a good man. And he doesn't accuse people of murder so lightly as you do!'

Faust let out a sigh, with Eve still looking him in the eyes with a disapproving look on her face.

'Innocent, until proven guilty. Which will happen soon, believe me.', he said.

'That remains to be seen.', she said and walked stiffly out of the classroom, her blonde hair waving behind her, leaving Faust standing in the stuffy classroom. '_Indeed it does, Eve._', he thought. '_Indeed, it does._'

* * *

><p><strong>17th December 2017<strong>

No matter how hard he thought, which variables he included or excluded, no matter how he guided his thoughts, Faust stumbled upon a dead end. That is, he always came to the conclusion that Seth was somehow behind all of this. All of the evidence pointed to it. Were they circumstantial? Perhaps. Were they enough to condemn the man? Maybe. However, without sound proof, he couldn't draw any conclusions. Not yet. But he will be keeping an eye on Seth. That he will, definitely.

He snapped out of his thoughts when the speaker's voice echoed out through the whole stadium.

'AND THE SLYTHERIN SEEKER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! SLYTHERIN WINS THE MATCH!'

The cheerful roar of the Slytherins in the crowd deafened the desperate cries of the defeated Ravenclaw team and Davis' rude comments on Oliver Wood's competence as a referee.

'Stop your hate-talk, Davis. You got your asses handed to you on the field, fair and square. Your lack of practice is what decided the outcome of this game.'

'But sir, professor Dedworth gave us too much homework in November, the whole team barely had the strength to sit up straight on their brooms today!'

'So what do you want me to tell him? *Seth, stop giving my students so much homework, so they can practice Quidditch more and bust your team up in the next game*?!'

'Well, I –'

'Enough. We lost. It happens. But I don't want to see you quitting just yet. We still have a shot at the trophy. Practice harder, okay?'

'Yes sir!'

The atmosphere at the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall, wasn't great at all. The Slytherin table, however, was in an uproar. The Ravenclaw Qudditch team hid their faces in shame when Faust passed by, going towards the Great Table, where Seth was standing with a cup of wine in his hand.

'Congratulations on the victory. Your team played well today.', Faust said and shook Seth's hand.

'That's life – sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. No worries, though. I'm sure the Chess Club will fare better than your Qudditch team.', Seth responded with a smirk on his face.

Faust smiled back as Seth went towards the Slytherin table. As soon as Seth's back was facing him, Faust rudely grimaced at Seth. Neville came up to Faust and handed him a cup of wine, holding another one in his hands. Eve was right behind him.

'Hey, how are you holding up?', Neville asked him.

'Never better,', Faust responded.

'What's the matter, champ?', Eve prodded 'Can't handle defeat? That's life. Sometimes you win, sometime-'

'Please, spare me the lecture.', Faust interrupted her.

'What's on your mind, mate?' Neville asked.

'Oh, nothing special, really.', said Faust. He was sulking a bit.

'Let me guess – Seth's team beat yours in Quidditch, that must mean he is the murderer.', Eve went on.

Faust looked at her with a gaze full of anger and disgust.

'You suspect Seth is the murderer?', Neville was surprised.

'No, no- STOP IT BOTH OF YOU.', Faust hissed.

The hand on his shoulder made Faust turn to the right. His eyes met with the gaze of Headmaster Basil, his former DADA professor.

'Well, what's there to be done... That's life, (*oh for pity's sake*, murmured Faust), sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose.', said Basil.

'I guess so, professor.', Faust responded with a sour smile on his face.

Headmaster Basil looked at Faust, who was still in the trail of thoughts leading to the conclusion Seth-equals-murderer. Basil noticed Faust's distrustful gaze directed at Seth.

'Is there anything you want to tell me, Faust?', Basil asked.

Faust turned to him, looking into his eyes.

'No, sir. Nothing.'

Basil nodded, smiled and winked. His left hand, riddled with nasty scars and decorated by a golden jeweled ring, left Fausts shoulder. Faust looked at the old Headmaster as he went to the Ravenclaw table, to comfort the defeated team.

'He reminds me of Dumbledore, a lot.', Neville exclaimed.

Faust remained silent.

* * *

><p><strong>25th December 2017<strong>

Christmas was that time of year that kinda just sneaks up on you. Time flies by when you're surrounded by magic, and before you realize it, Hagrid is pulling a huge soon-to-be Christmas Tree through the courtyard and towards the Great Hall. For Faust, life seemed to jump from holiday to holiday. It felt like only yesterday the castle was full of Hallowe'en decorations. He stopped himself from thinking about that night. He didn't want to go to that dark place. Not yet. He realized that if he continued to think about the murder, he would crack down completely. Even though winter arrived some time ago, there wasn't a single sign of snow outside.

The house-elves really outdid themselves this time. The feast was marvelous. Faust, however, decided not to attend. He went to the library. To the forbidden section. He didn't find what he was looking for.

'Are you serious?! It's Christmas! What are you doing here?', Eve's voice sounded of from behind him.

'Looking for historical evidence that Seth is the killer. If I told you anything else, you wouldn't believe me.', Faust responded, his back still turned towards her.

She got a couple of steps closer.

'Hey...', she started.

'What?!'

Faust turned around. Eve had a concerned look on her face. It took her a couple of seconds to start speaking again.

'Listen, I know we haven't spoken in the past week, but I want it to stop. I... I'm sorry I acted the way I did after the match. I don't know what came over me. I guess I snapped when you accused Seth of something serious, and he's a really good friend and all...'

'Oh, really?'

Eve scoffed.

'Not **_that_** kind of friend, dummy. Anyway, you were killing yourself with work, that case and all that, you were worried, and I stepped on your toes on purpose. I just wanted to apologize, that's all.'

Faust sighed.

'It's... Fine, really. I wasn't exactly myself back then, either. It's just that this is the second time the killer got away with a murder right under my nose, and I wasn't able to do anything about it. It was driving me nuts. I was on the edge, and I guess I just needed someone to blame, that's all.'

Eve smiled and nodded. They stood in complete and awkward silence for a couple of seconds.

'So, uh, I'll be going now... See you around...', Eve said.

'Hey, um...', Faust stopped her. She turned around. 'Go for a walk with me?'

She looked him in the eye and smiled.

'Sure.'

'Huh, it's Christmas and not a snowflake in sight. Doesn't look like it's gonna snow any time soon.', exclaimed Eve as they exited the almost empty castle.

'Fine by me. I don't really like snow. It gets everywhere, and before you know it, your feet are wet, and not to mention the aftermath… If it melts, there's snow-broth, if it freezes, slippery ice everywhere…', Faust replied.

'Gee, just like you to hate every possible thing that everyone else loves. C'mon, broody, cheer up a little.'

There was a moment of silence as they walked across the courtyard, towards the benches, when Faust said:

'You know, when I was at Hogwarts, quite a few of my friends told me that the Sorting Hat should've put me in Slytherin, not Ravenclaw.'

'Why is that?'

'Well, you know, I was a bit of a grumpy asshole when I was younger, so…'

'Oh, why doesn't it surprise me.', said Eve and smiled. 'So, why do you think the Hat put you in Ravenclaw, not Slytherin?'

'Well, probably because underneath the sarcastic, mocking attitude, I was a really great guy.', said Faust, almost as if he didn't believe it himself. 'I've never wronged anyone. If anything, I always put others before myself. I guess that's why I was in Ravenclaw. Because I wasn't a selfish, slimy prick like most Slytherins are.'

'Now that's just pure prejudice. What makes you think that if someone is in Slytherin, they're automatically pricks? I have quite a few friends who were Slytherins, and they're pretty great people.'

'Are you kidding me? Voldemort was in Slytherin, Bellatrix Lestrange, hell… Most, if not all, of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters were Slytherins!'

'Yeah, but so was Severus Snape, and you must know what kinds of sacrifices he made in order to bring the Dark Lord down…'

They sat on a bench looking towards the Black Lake. For a few seconds, they just enjoyed the view, before Eve said:

'You know, this is where I had my first kiss. Right in this spot. I think it was with a guy from Hufflepuff.' She smiled. 'I guess we all had our first kisses here on the school grounds. Where was yours?'

'Oh, um, it was, like, over there… Somewhere… You know…', Faust cleared his

throat.

Eve looked at him with an amused and shocked look on her face.

'You've never kissed a girl, have you?!', she asked.

'NO! YES! I MEAN NO, YES! Oh, what's the use…', Faust lowered his head in defeat. Eve tilted her head back and grinned before looking back at him.

'Well, I tried holding hands once, it was… Awful.', said Faust. 'I was fourth year, I think, and it was in this very courtyard, I grabbed her hand, and she sort of started tugging it back like a Dementor had just touched her, and I was, like, determined not to let it go, it was really awkward…', he said with a reminiscent smile on his face. 'The worst thing about it was that she stood up and started yelling at me in front of about, I don't know, twenty people or so. Just like that. I was the laughing stock of my classmates for weeks.'

'That bitch! What house was she in?'

'Slytherin.'

'Oh…', Eve said, and both of them started laughing hysterically.

A moment passed by before Eve broke the silence.

'Mistletoe.', she said, and pointed upwards.

When Faust looked up, he saw three red berries nested between gleaming leaves and a beautiful bow tie.

One tender look on both sides lasting mere seconds was all it took to get things flowing naturally. As they kissed on the cold Christmas evening, her arms around his neck, his hands on her waist, the first dash of snow landed on Eve's hair, giving it a silvery gleam in the moonlight. When their lips separated, Faust slightly opened his eyes and smiled, thinking about the mistletoe above them. He was absolutely sure that it wasn't there before they sat on the bench.

* * *

><p><strong>10th January 2018<strong>

Faust was going through his curriculum plan for the next semester at his desk in the DADA classroom when Eve entered.

'As always, obsessed with work. You're really lame, professor Rowland.'

'Is that really how you're gonna greet me? I was expecting: 'Hey there, master of seduction' or something among those lines.', he lifted his gaze from the papers.

'Master of seduction?!', Eve laughed, 'If I hadn't conjured that mistletoe above us, you'd still be waiting on that first kiss, mister.'

'True enough, I guess.', Faust smiled.

'So, what did you want to see me about?'

'Are you free next weekend?'

Eve put her hand on her hip.

'Are you planning on taking me to dinner somewhere? Can I guess where?'

'No need. I was thinking about going on a romantic stroll through Knockturn Alley.', he responded.

'Gee, you really are bad at picking your date spots.'

'A friend of Neville's lives there. An auror informant that he met in his auror days, before he came to Hogwarts to teach Herbology. The informant owes Neville a favour. Now I do, too. He's arranged for a meeting with him on Saturday. Oh, and put on something warm before we leave. Because where we're going **after** Knockturn Alley – you'll need it.'


	6. Chapter 6: The Motive Revealed

**13th January 2018**

What little snow fell after Christmas had already melted. The winter was short-lived this year, it seems. Knockturn Alley was full of ponds, mud and snow-broth. The weather outside was rather warm for that time of year.

Eve walked closer to Faust once she figured out the bearded bum in the nearby alleyway was checking her out. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, clutching her zipped-up brown leather jacket.

'Keep up.', said Faust, adjusting the sleeves on his long, black and elegant trench-coat. They stopped in front of a small shop – 'Mr. Mulpepper's Apothecary'. The door was locked. Faust pulled out his wand and waved it around the lock. The lock mildly shook and flashed with a dim violet light. He then put away his wand and pulled out a set of lockpicks.

'Why don't you just use the _Alohomora_ charm?', Eve asked, looking around nervously and still clutching her jacket.

'Because, for one, the door was warded by deadly spells, which I just dispelled. If I had used _Alohomora_ we would both be dead right now. The other reason is that – even if I tried _Alohomora_, it would be useless, because all the locks in Diagon and Knockturn Alley are charmed with the Anti-Alohomora Charm. Do you really think people, especially shop-keepers would rely on mechanical locks that can be opened with a basic charm?', he explained while twiddling the lockpicks around the inside of the lock.

A loud *click* sounded of, and Faust's lips spread into a smile. He put the lockpicks away and pushed the door open. When the two of them entered, they saw that the shop was completely empty. Bottles of various shapes and sizes filled the tall and long shelves along the walls of the shop. I one corner, behind the counter, an ominous vine-like plant latched itself onto the wall and ceiling, spreading around in a, roughly estimated, one and a half meter radius. The shop was rather dark, as the blinds on the shop windows were shut, so Faust lifted his wand and cast _Lumos_. On the other end of the room, also behind the counter, was a set of stairs leading to the upper floor. Eve grabbed Faust's hand, and they climbed up. Reaching the top of the stairs, they entered a room that seemed to function as a storage of some sort. Sour, grassy and heady smells came from the dusty boxes stacked on one another. At the far end of the room, sitting in a chair, facing the only window in the room, was a slim figure. The man had shoulder-length bushy, curly hair.

'Faust Rowland, I presume?', he asked in a low, monotone voice without turning around.

'Yes. You're the informant?', Faust responded.

'Correct. I was charged with with petty thievery multiple times, but instead of locking me up, the Aurors' Office figured they'd have more use of me on the streets. As their overseer here, in Knockturn Alley.'

'I don't think it was just petty thievery', exclaimed Faust, 'You were seen multiple times in the company of Death Eaters.'

'Well informed, I see. Yes, prior to the Dark Lord's fall, I worked as his informant. But I was on the streets back then. At least the Aurors' Office secured me a roof over my head... And a bed - the Ministry makes better deals than Voldemort did.', Gary pointed towards the mess pile of blankets on the old bed in the corner.

'What did Voldemort offer you?', Faust asked.

'He offered not to kill me and have his goons dump my body in the sewers... Oh, but where are my manners', he stood up, turning towards Faust and Eve. Eve slightly gasped and squeezed Faust's hand tighter. The man was missing his left eye and three quarters of his right ear. 'Name's Gary Crook. I'm the eyes and ears of the Aurors' Office here. Or rather... The eye and ear.', he said and grinned, revealing an incomplete set of yellow teeth, which reminded Faust of battlements on castle walls.

Faust smiled. Eve wasn't so amused by the remark.

'Anyway, down to business. You need to find one of the Dark Lord's former servants, correct?', Gary asked.

'Yes.', Faust said. Eve looked at him with concern.

'He's hiding at Nurmengard right now, if I'm not mistaken. I've arranged for a portkey to take you there.', Gary continued.

'Where's Nurmengard?, Eve asked.

'It's not so much a *where* as it is a *what*. It's the prison Gellert Grindelwald built to contain his enemies. Later it became his own prison, after Albus Dumbledore defeated him. Lord Voldemort found him in 1998, interrogated him about the Elder Wand, then killed him.', Faust explained.

'I see you've done your history homework, lad.', Gary grinned, again displaying his incomplete set of decay and rot. 'The portkey is the small brass set of scales on the counter down below. Have a safe journey. Oh, yes, nearly forgot. I have some information that might interest you. That hooded guy you're after – he was here a few weeks ago. I didn't see his face, but I do remember what he bought – aconite, grinded tentacula spikes, greencap fungus powder. He bought it in large quantities. Needs it to dispatch bothersome and nosy people he says. You might want to watch what you eat and drink, lad.'

Faust stood and looked at the man, before turning around and saying:

'Thanks for the info. Goodbye.', said Faust.

'Oh, and, uh...', Gary added, leaning toward them on his front foot, 'Tell Neville to consider my debt to him fully repaid.'

'I will.', said Faust without turning around, and continued down the creaky stairs. Eve followed.

When they got to the ground floor, Eve spoke first:

'Faust, aconite, grinded tentacula spikes, greencap fungus, those are all ingredients for-'

'The Silent Sleeper poison, I know. Deadly, works almost instantly, odorless, colourless, and tasteless. It's nearly undetectable. The only way to spot it is by putting it in contact with water, in which case the poison produces an acidic reaction. Guess I'll have to remember not to leave my drinks unatended at the bar.', Faust remarked.

'Faust, it's not funny.', she said, her face dead serious.

Faust didn't respond. The two of them stood behind the counter, in front of a small set of brass scales.

'On three.', said Faust. 'One. Two. Three!'

* * *

><p>Faust and Eve appeared on a rocky plain, beneath a dark, cloudy sky. A tall tower-like building stood out from the monotone, depressing landscape.<p>

'Stay close, okay?, Faust spoke to Eve, 'The sooner we do this, the sooner we can go back to Hogwarts'. He started walking toward the tower, with Eve following close behind.

'Where are we?', she asked, clutching her jacket even harder. Even though she wore a sweater underneath, she was still cold. The air was really thin. They were somewhere up high.

'I don't know exactly, but we're on a mountain somewhere along the Serbian – Bulgarian border. I think Serbs call it The Old Mountain, or something like that. And that building over there – that's Nurmengard.', he exclaimed.

The jet black tower was ominous, dark and foreboding. When they walked up to the large metal door, Faust pushed, but they wouldn't budge. Despite the tower being in ruins, the door stood firm. Faust tried kicking it, to no avail. There was no lock in sight.

'Stand back.', he spoke to Eve as he pulled out his wand. '_Bombarda_!'

The spell hit the door, and reflected it into a nearby boulder, smashing it to smithereens.

'I can't believe it, after all these years, this place is still protected against spells. Looks like we'll have to find another way in.', Faust said. 'Wait here, I'll go around, see if there is a hole we can climb through or anything like that.'

His trench-coat fluttered in the wind as he stepped behind the corner of the tower. Eve was nervous. It was cold, and she was hungry and tired. And wondering why they would want to find a servant of the Dark Lord at all. Now that she thought of it, Faust never explained what they were hoping to gain by doing that. What was the point of this whole trip?

As she looked around nervously, her eyes caught a glimpse of a moving shadow among the trees in the distance. She walked a few steps towards that spot, facing her back towards the tower. Something was definitely there. In a few moments, everything grew still. The wind died down, and not a sound could be heard coming from anywhere.

'Faust?', Eve called out to him. No answer. Another shadowy figure moved through the trees. The sun had completely set by then. It left Eve in pitch-black darkness. The air grew even colder, and she suddenly felt despair overcoming her from the inside.

She struggled with pulling her wand out of her jeans. At one point, she managed to feel the grip of the wand under her cold, shaky fingers. She raised it and cast Lumos.

Her surroundings were flooded by light from her wand. Eve's stomach dropped.

Dozens of Dementors were all around her, closing in on her position. Eve heard their raspy breath all around her, which sent a chill down her spine. Her legs were shaky and her brain was pushing the panic button. She tried casting the Patronus Charm. Her wand fizzled with white light, before dying down. She tried again, but she was frozen with terror. The Dementors were now already reaching out to her – to their next meal. As she turned around frantically, one of the Dementors flew right into her, grabbing her by the throat with it's slimy, scabbed hand and pinning her to the tower wall. As she kicked her legs around, grabbing the Dementor's arm and struggling to catch a breath, the hooded figure leaned in and started feeding on her. Two more closed in and joined the feast. Eve felt her soul leave her body, as her gaze became distant and blank, and all her happy memories faded away – her parents, her days at Hogwarts, the first time she kissed Faust...

Suddenly, her body hit the ground, and she was able to breathe again. Her vision was blurry, and all she could make out was that the Dementors were being attacked by a Great Horned Owl, that seemed do be made completely of silver light – a full patronus. The Owl fluttered it's wings about as it clawed the Dementors' faces, illuminating everything around it. The heavens themselves seemed to have descended to the earth, keeping the darkness at bay. The sight was marvelous as much as it was eerie.

The Dementors retreated hastily into the forest, holding their disgusting arms up, hiding from the warm light. As the last of them disappeared into the shadows, the Great Horned Owl turned towards Eve, sustaining itself in mid-air with short flaps of its wings. The Owl suddenly dissipated as Faust, holding an illuminated wand above his head, walked right through it.

'Eve?! Eve, are you alright?! Say something damnit!', he raised his voice in concern as he lifted her up by her shoulders.

Eve suddenly snapped out of it and flew towards Faust. She buried her head in his chest, wrapping her arms around his back, and started sobbing uncontrollably.

'Shh, it's okay. You're safe.', he said and kissed her on the top of her head, stroking her golden hair.

She wanted to be mad at him – for leaving her alone in the darkness, and for even bringing her to this god-forsaken place, for starters – but she couldn't. She was just so damn glad that he was there for her at that moment. They stood in silence a little longer, while Eve recovered from the shock.

'Why were the Dementors here?', Eve asked Faust as she sniffed and let go of him.

'After Kingsley Shacklebolt became Minister for Magic, he banished the Dementors from Azkaban, as they aided Voldemort in the Second Wizarding War. Now they're scattered, inhabiting the darkest and most depressing corners of the world. They came here because they sensed a victim. A desperate victim, easy to hunt down.', he responded.

'The Death Eater?'

'Yes. Come on now, I've found an entrance, we're almost done here.', Faust said.

'Why are we even looking for this guy, anyway?!', Eve asked, still shocked a bit.

'Everything will be clear soon, I promise.', he responded. 'Come on, this way.'

He lead her around the corner, holding her hand. After a few moments of climbing around boulders, they came up to a large hole gaping in front of them. Faust went in first, with his illuminated wand high above his head. Eve lifted her wand as cast light around the room, too. The interior of the tower looked even worse than the exterior – wooden tables and chairs were knocked down, half-rotten and mouldy from the moisture, there was debris everywhere, and large, long cobwebs stretched through the big room. With every step they took, a gruesome cracking sound could be heard beneath their feet

'It looks like it was a mess hall, or something like that.', Eve remarked.

Faust looked around the room. Cuffed chains were still dangling from their posts. The overturned tables had leather restraints nailed to them, and were covered in dark stains. When Faust lowered his gaze, he suddenly realised what was cracking beneath their feet. He took a deep breath and grabbed Eve by her hand.

'Don't look down.', he said.

'Why?'

'Because this wasn't a mess hall. Come on, let's get to the upper floors.'

The bones and skulls littering the floor beneath their feet snapped horrendously as the two of them walked across the room that, in its better days, used to be a torture chamber.

Their steps rang out on the stone stairs. On the floor they had just entered was a cell block. Most of the iron bars dividing the cells from the hallway were busted open or gnawed by the tooth of time. Faust and Eve slowly walked forward, into the darkness, with their wands as the only light source. At one moment, Faust stopped, and Eve bumped into him.

'What, what is it?', Eve hissed.

'Steps. Behind us.', Faust whispered.

They stood in complete silence, anxiously waiting for something to jump at them from the darkness. Suddenly, a snap echoed throughout the hallway, akin to a whip crack, and it came from behind them. Eve turned around just in time to deflect the incoming spell. Faust fired off a spell with a wide movement from the shoulder, in the general direction of the unknown attacker. The two of them heard a loud *thud* and a painful grunt, signifying that the enemy was just knocked against the wall. Faust went around Eve and ran towards the enemy. At one point, Faust's wand illuminated the face. An old, sunken man with a haggard face, and long beard and hair, was kneeling on the stone floor. When he tried raising his wand again, one more flick of Faust's wrist expelled it from his hand and sent it flying into a nearby cell. Eve closed up on them, pointing her wand at the strange man.

'Rodolphus Lestrange', Faust spoke, 'husband to the late Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black. Former devout servant of the Dark Lord. Only an insane man would seek refuge in a prison.'

What started as a whine quickly turned into hysterical laughter coming from the man's mouth. He shook uncontrollably and tilted his head backwards.

'He is clearly insane, no doubt from years spent in this hell hole.', Eve said with a disgusted look on her face.

'Who is to say that I wasn't insane before I got here?!', the man suddenly snapped back at her, still on his knees. 'Now what would a pretty lady like you want from an old lunatic like myself?', his voice suddenly became calmer and adulatory.

'She wants nothing. I do, however.', said Faust.

'Hurry up, Faust. Find out what you need and let's just leave this place.', Eve said.

'Faust?!', Rodolphus bawled his eyes out at him, 'You are Jonathan's little lad, yes you are! Where's daddy, Faust? Is he lying 6 feet under the ground somewhere, huh?! Oh, I was there when he died, I heard his bones crack when he was knocked of the Clock Tower at Hogwarts, yes I did... It was hilarious, AHAHAH-'

Eve was pushed aside as Faust grabbed Rodolphus by the collar of his dirty shirt full of holes and pinned him to the wall, sticking his wand under Rodolphus' throat.

'Listen here, scum', Faust was furious, 'My need for information is the only thing that's keeping your rotten teeth inside your mouth. Start talking, before I spill them over the floor.'

'W-What do you want to know?', Rodolphus swallowed nervously.

'The Horcruxes. How are they made?! Speak!'

Rodolphus was confused, and his facial expression mirrored Eve's who was standing behind Faust's back. Why on earth would Faust want to know about Horcruxes?

'T-They grant immortality by splitting the owner's soul into-'

'I KNOW THAT! HOW ARE THEY MADE?!'

'You have to perform a sort r-ritual! To create a Horcrux, you need an object to contain it... And a victim, to be murdered. The creator of a Horcrux must torture his victim extensively before killing them. Then the victim's soul fuels the spell which binds a part of the creator's soul to the object. That makes them glow, you see.', Rodolphus recited the explanation.

Faust let out a sigh, and paused for a bit.

'As I expected.'

Eve stood shocked as the revelation hit her.

'The killer is creating Horcruxes.', she said.

'Yes. And he isn't binding them to just any random objects. He's mirroring Voldemort's Horcruxes. Your locket is supposed to represent Slytherin's Locket, which was a Horcrux of the Dark Lord. The silver circlet I saw him holding that night near the Ministry – it's a replacement for Ravenclaw's Diadem. Looks like we've got a copycat on our hands.'

'Oh my God.'

Faust removed his wand from Rodolphus' throat, seemingly becoming calmer.

'So what are you gonna do now, lad? Kill me?', Rodolphus laughed, 'We both know you don't have it in you.'

'No, I'm not killing you.', Faust said.

Rodolphus' lips stretched into a creepy grin. Faust's face remained dead serious.

* * *

><p>Faust cast <em>Bombarda<em> at the hole in the wall after the three of them exited the tower. It caved in, rendering it impossible for anyone to enter the place again. Rodolphus turned to Faust an asked:

'Why did yo-'

His question was interrupted by Faust's fist landing on his temple. Faust grabbed him by the back of his collar and started dragging him along the rocky ground. Rodolphus desperately struggled.

'Faust, what are you doing?! You said you won't kill him!', Eve shouted.

'Oh, **I'm** not the one that's gonna kill him.', he said, completely calm, 'You see, when we came here, we were attacked by a pack of Dementors. I imagine that they still haven't retreated from those woods all around us.'

'No... No, wait, please, kill me! Don't leave me to them!', Rodolphus begged him.

They stopped a few steps from the port key, the small brass scales. They were on a clearing surrounded by a dense pine forest. Rodolphus was on his knees.

'I hope you can produce a Patronus.' Faust said, holding Rodolphus' wand in his right hand and outstretching it towards him, as if to give Rodolphus his wand back. When Rodolphus reached out to take it, Faust grabbed the wand with his other hand and snapped it in half.

'Without a wand, that is.', Faust added and threw the broken wand at Rodolphus' feet.

Rodolphus was left kneeling on the cold stone, moaning and swaying left and right, as Faust walked towards Eve and the portkey. At one moment, filled with rage, Rodolphus got on his feet and lunged at them, but by the time he got close to them, they were already gone. Rodolphus hit the ground with a loud *thud*. As he lifted his gaze up, he saw a shadow moving among the trees.

The air suddenly grew considerably colder.


	7. Chapter 7: Death of a DADA professor

**14th January 2018**

After a few hours of rest in Eve's apartment near Diagon Alley, Faust and Eve apparated in Hogsmeade. While they walked through the streets of Hogsmeade, the two of them realized that hey were rather empty. The students' parents probably decided that it was safer for their children to come home rather than spend the holidays in the castle. Faust couldn't deny their logic. In the distance, Hogwarts stood stoically, the dark sky behind it and its lit windows giving it an eerie look.

When they walked into the Great Hall, they saw a handful of students at the tables, eating their dinner. The teachers at the great table weren't that numerous, either. But the one Faust needed right now was there.

'We know why he's doing it.', Faust sat next to Neville, interrupting his bite. Eve sat next to him.

'I suppose that the informant was useful, then. C'mon now, don't keep me waiting.', Neville responded.

'The killer is performing rituals with the victims' souls to make horcruxes. He seems to be imitating Voldemort. At first I thought that the dark lord had somehow returned, but that seems hardly possible. So far, the only two horcruxes we know of are Seth's circlet, and Eve's locket.', Faust said. Eve grabbed the locket hanging around her neck.

Faust noticed that Seth wasn't at the table, either.

'Did you do what I asked you?', Faust continued.

'Yes, the children are safe. The castle was rather quiet while you two were gone. Besides, you didn't think that something dreadful would happen during the two days that you were absent?', Neville responded.

'It was the perfect opportunity. Maybe the killer was being careful… No matter. I'll keep searching for clues and hints. He must've slipped somewhere. I'm missing something.', Faust said, looking into his half-filled plate. He wanted to take a sip of wine from his goblet, but stopped midway.

'Something wrong?', professor Longbottom asked.

'The killer was in Knockturn Alley. He bought aconite, grinded tentacula spikes, and greencap fungus powder. The ingredients for the Silent Sleeper poison. He saw my face. He's here, so he knows I'm actively hunting him. I'll have to get food from Hogsmeade from now on, until I catch him.', Faust lowered his goblet.

'Bloody hell…'

Faust simply nodded. He was getting tired of this. All of this. The case was driving him to paranoia, and he didn't want to continue living in fear. This will have to end, he decided. Soon.

* * *

><p><strong>2nd February 2018<strong>

Some time after , near the end of January, snow hit Hogwarts out of the blue. The Qudditch match played in that period, between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, was living hell. Two light injuries and one rather heavy one – two broken legs, occurred. At one point, the headmaster wanted to call of the game, but the overzealous Ravenclaw team refused to allow it, in the end beating down the Gryffindor team with two hundred and thirty points in the lead. The Dueling Club was progressing rather nicely, with the students becoming more and more confident in their dueling skills. One thing that Faust was afraid of was that some students would get it in their heads that they are somehow brave and skilled enough to go searching for the killer themselves. As a professor at Hogwarts, it was his responsibility to stop any wannabe Potters, Weasleys and Grangers. The ones he needed to take care of the most – were the ones that were actually bearing those last names. No doubt the Potter and Weasley kids will want to live up to their parents' names.

_Faust,_

_Thanks for the info. Chief Harry couldn't respond, so I'm writing the response myself. Everyone here is busy with the case, and we're working as hard as we can. The intel you provided us with, but we haven't come up with anything new. William is pulling some strings in the Department of Mysteries, so I'm hoping we can get something out of there, at least a clue, anything, or information on previous horcruxes and/or Voldemort and his Death Eaters._

_I hope your leg is recovering, and that you'll be able to join us again in the office here. I'll keep you posted._

_Ed._

Faust finished reading Ed's letter and stood up. He walked out of his office. He wanted to go and talk to Neville about the case, and consult with him. As it was around 4PM, the classes were in progress, so Neville was probably down at the greenhouses. He turned around the corner, his steps echoing through the hallways of the castle. Midway, Faust stopped and pulled out a small crystal ball out of his coat and put it in eye-level. Many didn't believe in the fine art of Divination. Then again, very few people were gifted with the ability to see anything in the fine-tuned crystal balls – the things that were, the things that are, and some things… That are yet to come to pass. Faust had been looking into the ball for months. Nothing appeared in it, not a single hint. He wasn't expecting to see anything now, either, but he kept doing it, out of habit. Seeing as nothing showed up in it, he was just going to put it back in his poc-

A boy. With blue eyes, and brown hair. Running down a hallway. A hooded figure, all in black, chasing him. Green flashes blasting out through the darkness. A statue, the face of Salazar Slytherin staring into the void, filled with snakes of stone.

This was happening now. The Chamber of Secrets.

Faust ran down to the second floor, to the girls' lavatory. Inside, the sinks were split open, and a hole was gaping in the middle of the floor. Moans and cries echoed out through the lavatory.

'Myrtle?! Myrtle, who passed through here?', Faust shouted.

The crying stopped, and the pale ghost of the deceased girl, with pigtails and big glasses, came out of one of the stalls.

'The one dressed in black. The pale one. One of the professors. He came in, pretending he didn't realize that the boy was following him. He lured him to the Chamber, down below.', she said and plunged back into her crying.

Faust didn't have time to console her or calm her down. He jumped down the hole in the floor.

When he got to the end of the tunnel, he landed on the cold stone floor of a dark hallway. On the other end, a circular door, gaping open, and looking through it, Faust saw a small boy running towards him with green flashes flying around his head. Faust pulled his wand out, and ran towards him with a face of pure anger and determination. This is it. No more slip-ups.

When he got to the boy, Faust realized it was actually Albus Severus Potter. The boy was pale and shaking with fear, barely standing on his feet. Behind him, a tall, hooded figure, raised his wand. Albus jumped aside as Faust met the attacker head-on. Colorful flashes and crackling spells filled the room as the duelists violently snapped at each other. His left leg pained him, but Faust paid no mind to it. He's catching the killer. Today. Right now. A flash of green flew past his head as he countered with a Petrificus Totalus. It missed, but it was a mere diversion. As Faust had done so many times before, he fired of an Expeliarmus right behind the first spell, hiding it in the trail of Petrificus Totalus. Much to his surprise, the killer deflected both of them, and did the exact same thing. While dodging the spells and moving behind one of the stone snakes, Faust noticed that the killer was holding a leather-bound book. Another horcrux. Or rather, probably an object meant for a new horcrux.

'You're going down, you bastard!', Faust shouted and jumped out to meet his attacker. Before he could cast anything, he felt a sharp pain in his temple as the killer charged at him and punched him, running past afterwards. Shaking his head, Faust gave chase, and followed the killer through the hallway. The killer suddenly turned into a mass of black smoke and started flying up the entrance shaft.

'Oh, you're not the only one with new tricks!', Faust shouted.

Diving into the air, Faust transformed into white, shining mist and followed. The killer and his pursuer flew through the hallways, raining spells on one another. They ended up on the fourth floor, classroom doors opening and curious faces peeking out as the two of them passed through the wide hallways. Faust suddenly slammed into a nearby wall, hit with a powerful knockdown spell. He grabbed his chest, gasping for air, and watched as the black smoke flew behind the corner, towards the bathrooms.

As he stood up, he heard steps from the other side of the hallway. When he turned, he saw Seth, his black cloak fluttering behind him, walking towards Faust. He was holding a book in his hand.

'What happened, did you catc-'

Seth's question was interrupted by Faust's fist smashing into his mouth. Before he realized what's going on, Faust was on top of him, raising his fist. Before the hit landed, Faust was launched back by Seth's spell, but landed on his feet, wand at the ready. Spells started flying through the hallway, breaking off pieces of the walls and sending debris flying everywhere. With a flick of Faust's wand, Seth was disarmed, his wand flying through the hallway.

'No, wait, stop!', Seth shouted. The shout fell on deaf ears.

'Legilimens!'

* * *

><p>Seth was walking down a dimly-lit street, surrounded by small houses. The lanterns were shaking in the wind. Seth felt relieved as another school year ended, and he came home to his love, his wife. Their wedding was just a few months ago. He was happy. Happier than he ever was. Seth turned right on the dirt road and headed towards the distant house placed on the nearby meadow. His house. As he got near house, he realized that the doors were open, and a trail of fighting lead behind the house. He pulled out his wand and ran towards the corner of the house. As he turned left, Seth was met with a shocking sight: His wife's body, mangled, disfigured, laying on the ground, and a hooded figure standing above it, disapparating as soon as it saw Seth. He ran towards the mess that, not more than a few minutes ago, was his wife, Guinevere. He fell to his knees and let out a horrifying cry, a cry of rage and sorrow. He buried his head in his hands, sobbing, calling out his late wife's name as heavy raindrops started falling over them.<p>

* * *

><p>Faust fell backwards after the spell ended, and was met with Seth's blank gaze. Behind him, Eve, Neville, Basil, and other professors were staring in shock and confusion at the scene that had just happened.<p>

'I… I'm…', Faust started muttering.

He didn't finish the sentence. He stood up and hurried towards his office, dropping his wand along the way.

'Faust, wait!', Eve shouted. The shout fell on deaf ears.

When she found him in his office, he was sitting at his desk, his head buried in his hands. He was sobbing. She walked near him, put his wand on the desk, and hugged him. It took him a few minutes to calm down, and bring himself to speak.

'I screwed up again, Eve. I bloody screwed up.', he said with a shaky voice.

'You saved Albus, Faust.'

'And assaulted an innocent man because of my prejudice and based on circumstantial evidence. What kind of Auror… What kind of man does that?!'

'Hush. What's done is done. You only did what you thought was right.'

'And I thought wrong. I can't afford making mistakes. Not now. Besides… I'll never be able to speak to Seth again.'

Minutes passed as they sat in silence.

'What did you see?', Eve broke the silence.

'Huh?'

'You used Legilimens on Seth. What did you see?'

'… Seth's wife was killed. By the same killer that's raging right now. She was another victim, tortured and killed in order to make a horcrux.', Faust explained. Eve went silent again, squeezing Faust's hand.

'Where's Seth now?', Faust asked.

'Back in his office. He's… Pretty shaken.'

'I'll go and apologize. Come by my office later, okay?'

'Sure thing.', she said and pecked him on the lips. The walked out of the office together.

When Faust got to Seth's office, it had already got dark outside. The candles on the walls illuminated the hallways. Faust steeled himself and knocked on the door sharply.

'Come in.', a muffled response came from the other side of the door.

When he opened the door, he saw the Charms professor, standing in front of his desk, resting his hands on it and looking through the window behind the desk. The walls of the office were covered with bookcases. The only thing that stood out in the office was a painting. A portrait. A woman in an olive dress, with long black hair. She was beautiful.

'I, uh… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. I was bloody fool.', Faust spoke.

'Yes, you were. But your apology won't bring her back.', Seth said with a rather calm voice.

'Why didn't you tell me?'

'Because you wouldn't have believed me. You would've dismissed it as an excuse, an attempt of creating an alibi.'

Faust felt a lump in his throat. He knew it was true.

'Look, I… Need a favor from you. I know I have no right to ask for one-'

'You don't.', Seth interrupted him and turned around. This was the first time Faust saw Seth emotionally upset, distraught, with tears in his eyes… 'Ask away.'

'I'll need your memories of that night. I know it will be painful to recall it again, but I really need it.'

Seth sharply pulled out his wand, which made Faust flinch a bit. He then proceeded to put it on his temple, and made a painful face. As he pulled his wand away, a single gleaming silver thread was attached to it. The thread floated around like a piece of cloth submerged in water. Faust took a glass flask and contained the memory. He then sealed it and put it in his pocket.

'Thank you. Really. And I'm sorry.', Faust said.

'Don't thank me. Don't apologize to me. Find him. Bring my love's killer to justice', Seth hissed.

Faust nodded and exited the office in silence. Seth turned towards Guinevere's portrait.

* * *

><p>Impossible. He looked through both memories in his office, occasionally glaring at his crystal ball. It showed nothing else. He flinched when he saw someone standing in the doorway. It was Eve.<p>

'It's… What time is it? It's nearly one o'clock in the morning, what are you doing here?', Faust asked, his eyes half shut.

'Little Albus talked. He said he followed the hooded figure from the west courtyard. Wanted to see where he was going and what he was doing. Supposedly wanted to walk in his father's shoes.'

'It's just as I feared then…'

'How's it going?'

'Ugh… Well, nothing new for now, but… Damn, I wish I had the Marauders' Map right now… Too bad it was stolen from Harry…'

'What's that?'

'Marauders' Map? A magical map of Hogwarts, which shows hidden passages and people's movement's inside the castle…'

'You mean this? But it's a blank paper.', Eve held up an old piece of paper.

Faust stood up from his chair slowly, glaring in disbelief.

'Where did you get it?'

'The little Potter boy had it on him. He said he used it to tail the hooded person… But he said that he found it odd that only that single person didn't have a name written beside it.'

Faust was a bit disappointed after that, but still took the paper.

'Then it means the killer can cast powerful identity concealment spells. Now, what was it… Hmph… Ah yes – I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.'. he said. Eve giggled slightly.

Looking at the map, Faust saw nothing odd. Everyone was right where they should be. And there was no pair of feet with no name next to it.

'Thanks for this, Eve… Though, if the killer can hide his identity, it won't matter much.'

'Well, at least you'll be able to see if an unnamed pair of feet walks through the castle. You'll know who it is. What's that?', Eve pointed to the crystal ball on the table. 'Is it a Divination ball? Don't tell me a highly logical individual like you believes in that nonsense…'

'How do you think I was able to see that Albus was in danger?', Faust said with a weary smile on his face. Eve stood silent, looking at the ball with amusement.

'It works?', she asked in a surprised tone.

'It does. I've used it to solve several cases. But it doesn't always show something. Actually, it rarely does. And even when it does, it takes a lot of effort and skill to interpret it right.'

'Huh… Well, good luck. Do tell me if you find out anything new, okay?'

'Will do.'

Eve pecked him on the lips and walked out of the office. Faust looked back into the crystal ball. Nothing. Then back at the map. Nothing again.

'Ugh… Mischief managed.'. he said and tapped the map. The ink disappeared.

Faust then stood up and got to the stone Pensieve again. The silvery thoughts inside the Pensieve's bowl whirled around like mermaids in the Black Lake. Faust took a deep breath, then dived back into the two memories.

The searching went on forever. The map, the crystal ball, and the memories. He was missing something, right under his nose. He could feel it. And it had already been dawn when Faust emerged from the Pensieve again, with shock on his face and revelation in his mind. He WAS missing something, the whole time. And it was so painfully obvious that he was ashamed of it. He ran towards Eve's quarters, his steps echoing through the empty castle at night.

* * *

><p>'I'll need you to do that, right now, do you understand? Eve?'<p>

'Yes, yes! I just… can't believe…'

'I know. Now go. And wish me luck.'

'Wait! But what if he has more horcruxes than those three? You won't be able to defeat him, you'll die!'

'That is a risk I am willing to take. Go. Go!', Faust said and kissed Eve in haste.

He then hurried up the stairs of the Headmaster's Tower and stood in front of the stone gargoyle. It was still dark outside, as Faust saw through the window.

'Silver Tongue.', Faust spoke the password, and the gargoyle started rising and rotating, revealing a circular staircase leading to the Headmaster's Office.

Walking up the stairs and going in through the door, he saw headmaster Basil, in his usual blue robe, sitting over some papers, scribbling on them. Basil raised his gaze and met Faust's.

'My favourite student. What brings you here at this hour?'

'I have news for you, headmaster.'

Basil looked at Faust, then stood up and grabbed two goblets from a cupboard.

'Sit. Tell me all about it.', Basil said and poured scotch for both of them. Faust sat at the desk, opposite the headmaster.

'Now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?'

'I know the killer's identity, sir.'

Basil raised his eyebrows.

'Finally. I expected nothing less from you. So, who is it?'

Faust took a flask of pure spring water out of his coat and poured it in his goblet. The scotch started fizzling and foaming violently. Basil and Faust looked at each other and smiled.

'I congratulate you. You did everything a master wizard could to magically hide his identity. And yet, you forgot something so simple and so obvious, that I can't believe I had missed it up until now.'

'And what was it?', Basil smiled, like this was all a game.

Faust looked at the professor's hand. His left hand, riddled with scars, and decorated by a golden jeweled ring.

'You didn't cover your hands, professor. Looking through Seth's and my memories, I noticed that your face was shrouded completely. And yet your left hand, covered in nasty scars, was uncovered. The one you're wearing your ring on. The same ring you used as a horcrux container on the night when you murdered Seth's wife. As the headmaster, it was easy for you to move through Hogwarts inconspicuously, not to speak of the fact that the killer would have to be a powerful wizard, someone like… The headmaster of Hogwarts.'

Basil Cinderford, the copycat, stood up, and started clapping.

'You always were one of my brightest students.'

'It wasn't cleverness that much… Just a lucky set of circumstances, and your own stupidity. Why are you doing this, professor?'

'Why? Hah, boy, don't make me laugh… I want to live forever, of course. Life is too short to master every spell, dig up every secret, become an all-powerful wizard. Once I have enough horcruxes, I'll be able to acquire all the knowledge in the world. No one will be able to stop me then.'

Faust noticed that the professor was a lot paler than usual, and that purple veins were showing on his forehead. An effect of splitting one's soul, no doubt.

A tense moment of silence filled the room as time seemed to slow down completely. Then they lashed out at each other. Flashes and sparks filled the office, and various silvery instruments flew apart, ricocheting off the walls. The portraits on the walls started shouting in surprise. Both combatants grunted heavily while their spells laid waste to every bit and corner of the room. Not long after, Basil's spell sent Faust flying into the wall. Faust felt a sharp pain in the back of his head as he hit the wall and fell down almost three meters. His wand flew out of his hand and landed on the floor. All the air had escaped from his lungs. As he struggled to get up, the headmaster started laughing.

'I taught you everything you know, lad… You know you can't beat me.'

The office door burst open as Eve, Neville, Seth, Oliver Wood and the rest of the staff, rushed in with their wands raised. Not a word was ushered before the room exploded into light. When the ordeal was over, two professors were laying on the floor, Faust was struggling to get up, and all the combatants, including Basil, were breathing heavily. Eve checked the pulse of the fallen professors, then stood up with hate and disgust in her eyes. Basil responded with a devious smile. Before Basil realized it, Faust sprung up from the floor with his wand in his hand, and grappled him. The rest of the professors kept their wands pointed at them, without the intent of firing while Faust was near. Basil stabbed Faust's shoulder with his wand, which created a nasty burn. Faust, blinded by rage, punched the headmaster in the face. A loud 'crack' followed. He then grabbed Basil's left hand and, with a lot of effort, took his ring off, which flew out of Faust's hand and landed at Seth's feet. Seconds after, they both turned into solid mist and smoke, and flew out the window. The sky was lit as the two masses of light and darkness flew towards Hogsmeade. As soon as they were clear for apparition, they both disappeared into the night. All was calm again.

* * *

><p>Faust landed with a 'thud' on a metallic floor. He was drenched in water, and the wind was pounding on his eardrums. He barely had time to stand up before having to defend himself from an onslaught of spells. The battle broke soon enough, giving the combatants time to rest.<p>

Faust realized they were on top of the Shard, in the middle of London. A huge storm was raging across the skies, as lightning ripped the clouds apart and a downpour of rain whipped the duelists' faces.

Without a single word, Basil and Faust were at each other's throats again. Faust stood stoically, but was no match for the former DADA teacher. As they got closer to one another, Faust's wand flew out of his hand and hit the floor. Suddenly, Basil was struck by lightning, which he channeled through his body and out of his wand, striking out at the young man. Faust's cries of pain and agony were muffled by the howling of the wind atop the three hundred meters high skyscraper. When Basil was finished, Faust was lying on the ground, his whole body burning and cramping in pain. He felt Basil's boot on his chest. As he opened his eyes, Faust saw the headmaster, his former professor - the copycat, the killer - standing over him, with a maniacal smile on his face. Basil was holding Faust's wand in his hand, and Faust watched in horror as his wand was snapped in two. The two broken pieces of wood fell beside his head. Basil then proceeded to stomp Faust's left knee, breaking in the already damaged leg. Faust screamed in pain and anger.

'Goodbye, little raven!', Basil shouted and raised his wand, 'AVADA-'

The spell was interrupted as Basil suddenly grabbed his chest and inhaled sharply, with a shocked look on his face.

* * *

><p>Eve felt awe overcome her as Gryffindor's Sword glided out of the Sorting Hat in her hands. On the desk before her, were three objects – a ring, a circlet, and a locket. Her locket.<p>

'Here you go, you twisted bastard!', she shouted as the ring was smashed into pieces by the sword.

'Nyagh!', the second blow landed on the circlet.

Eve paused, looking at the locket.

'I'm sorry, mother.'

* * *

><p>Basil flinched the third time, all the while holding his chest, his robe crumpling up between his fingers. Faust stood up and slowly shuffled towards Basil. As the copycat raised his wand once more, Faust lashed out, and after a short struggle, pried the wand out of Basil's hands and stabbed it in his eye. The copycat screamed in pain and horror as he pulled the wand out of his eye socket. As Basil stood in front of him, with his eye bleeding profusely, Faust mustered up all the strength he had in him, and blasted the killer backwards. The glass windows seven stories below them broke into pieces by the spell's force. Carried up by Faust's extremely powerful wandless spell, Basil hit the lightning rod atop the Shard. The former headmaster's body lit up like a Christmas tree as lightning struck him and burned his body while Faust covered his gaze. A few seconds later, Basil's charred corpse landed down on the metallic floor, twitched once more, and then stopped moving.<p>

Faust fell to his knees.

'It's over.', he thought as he lost consciousness and his body hit the cold, wet floor of the Shard, three hundred meters up from the ground, on the spire of the Shard, in the middle of London.

* * *

><p><strong>7th May 2018<strong>

'Are you sure you don't want to stay here?', Harry asked as the applause died down.

'Yes. I think I'm made for a teacher more than an auror.', Faust responded, holding his framed Order of Merlin medal in his hands.

'Very well. You'll always be welcome here, though… And thank you. For everything.'

Faust and Harry shook hands, and another round of applause followed. After Faust said his goodbyes to everyone and collected his severance, he went out of the Ministry, going right, then right again, then left at the corner. From there, it was just another 150 meters to Charing Cross Station.

That afternoon, he was woken up by his front door bell ringing. He limped to the door and opened it. He was met with a beautiful sight – sunny weather, clear sky, his green, mowed grass, and an angel with blonde hair and blue eyes standing on the doorway. She flew into his arms immediately. The couple embraced and kissed for a few minutes before separating.

'How are you?', Eve asked.

'Well, the burns are gone. But the leg will never heal. I'll limp for the rest of my life.', Faust said, only now feeling like a cripple. Eve stroked his cheek, feeling his sadness.

'Can I come in?', she asked.

'Uh… Sure, of course.'

Faust discreetly flicked his new wand at the living room while Eve was entering the house, and the mess inside sorted itself out. Eve sat on the comfortable sofa as Faust turned on the stove and put a kettle with water on it. He then joined her.

'I have a prolonged weekend off, so I came to see you. That and… I'm supposed to deliver this to you.', she handed him a letter. It had the scarlet seal of Hogwarts on it.

Faust cracked the seal and started reading the letter.

_Dear Mr. Rowland_

_It is my pleasure to address you and hereby officially invite you to join the teaching staff at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as of 1__st__ September this year. Should you accept, you will be required to be here no less than a week before the school term begins._

_Respectfully,_

_Seth Dedworth, Headmaster of Hogwarts_

Faust looked back at Eve and smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Around five and a half years later, 2nd September 2023<strong>

'Well, that's it.', Faust said, addressing the students in the DADA classroom. The now 17-year-old Albus Severus Potter looked at him and slightly nodded. The rest murmured something that was supposed to resemble a positive answer. Somewhere outside, a Great Horned Owl sent out its signature screech.

When Faust sat at his desk in the classroom, he saw a raised hand, the hand of a drop-dead gorgeous, young blonde girl in Slytherin colours. Faust sighed.

'Yes, miss Higgs?'

'Sir, is it true that you and professor Eve Morgan are getting married soon?'

Faust glared back at her with a death stare. She lowered her hand.

'Right.', she had a serious look on her face. For a moment. Then she started grinning from ear to ear again, 'That's all the answer I need!'

The class burst into laughter as Faust smiled slightly and got lost in thought. It was good that miss Higgs asked him that question. She reminded him of something.

He's supposed to go to Twilfitt and Tatting's tailor shop come weekend, to pick up the wedding suit he ordered.


End file.
